Hey Guys, Here's some pictures of my dad's latest project. It's a 51 Mercury with 33,000 original miles. The flattie was stuck so in goes a 455. The engine will be using ported Stage 1 heads, T/A 290-08h cam, B4B & 850 holley. He ordered some of the new sheet metal valve covers. The interior was so clean that new carpet is the only item required. He's grafted in a mustang II front clip with rack & pinion. The rear is a 9" with 3.50 gears - all the good stuff. He'll start out with a wide ratio Muncie - don't think it will last long. The paint is decent & we'll be rubbing it out & running it. Anyway thought you guys would get a kick out of a Ford product with a real engine. Wes
Nothing wrong with that!!:TU: Should be a pretty cool running street rod!!:bglasses: At least now, it doesn't have to be JUST a cruiser.:Brow: Sure beats the cookie cutter 350! Most rodders aren't use to that much torque!!:eek2:
wow! Where'd he find the car??? It's like it was stuck in a time capsule! Is that the spot you have rubbed out already on the quarter? It looks great. Neat car!
mercury i really believe that this car was too good to be turned in to a hot rod. i would think that that the quality of the vehicle, before modifications, would have warranted it being restored to original condition. there are so very few of these cars left in any condition, that to me, it now becomes a lost piece of hostory . then again, that is only my opinion .
Hot Rod Gerry - Now there is a touchy subject! I agree 100%, however, many of these cars would never be preserved or wanted by the people who like original cars. Often the cars are only worth their parts to collectors. Unless the car is something "special", raced, owned by Bonnie and Clyde, full of options or very rare, they have no "value". Look at how often cherry Skylarks, LeSabres, Wagons, etc go for pennies when a Stage 1 goes for $20K+!!! At least its being cared for and enjoyed, even loved by someone. And there is no reason why hot rodders can't have solid cars to work from! My 2 cents! - Bill
Hey guys, The car was found in my dad's home town in a Mid-west garage where it had been parked since 1970. He knew of the car when he was a young boy, & his father was friends with the gentleman who was the original owner. The original owner was 92 years old when we picked it up. The story goes that many people tried to buy this car for many years, and since my dad had helped around his hardware store in the fifties he said "how much do you offer me for it". A deal was struck & a friend of my dad's brought it to California. He was going to rebuild the flathead, but it's still just a flathead. He's one to get in & go - not afraid to drive his hot rods thousands of miles. Even the dragstrip gets used once in a while. Anyway, the car will stay pretty much original looking except for a lower & Olds 3-bar spinners. The neat thing is it will drive, ride & brake like a real car should. Wes
anybody want to buy a 54 4 door merc for $200? has a title and its pretty well together yet. ________ HURT FROM DEPAKOTE
Re: Hot Rod Oh, I don't know, I'm sure members of the Lincoln Mercury club would trip all over themselves to get their hands on a low mileage car like this! Its hard to find one of these Mercs that hasn't been dropped, chopped, channeled, shaved and so forth. Growing up in the car hobby I've seen a couple cars that started out as nothing but a frame with a cowl on it restored to 100 point concours condition. It seems these days people are less likely to save a car if it is in less then desireable condition. A car is always worth more if it's kept as close to factory original as possible. I'm a bit of a purist at heart and if it were mine I would have restored it to original even though the old flathead engines have there share of problems. Oiling being one. But at least it is being cared for and loved. As long as modifications are reversable its ok in my book. Don't get me wrong, It will be a sweet ride for sure! I like it! :TU:
Guys, The intake is a B4B with an old 70's alum. velocity stack to simulate the height of carb & 1" spacer. The headers are T/A - they had to be cut back where the primary tubes meet the collector about 6". The x member in the original frame just got in the way, & our buick 'A' body headers are extra l o n g. The car will be running 3" exhaust with quiet mufflers - suggestions? The flattie was sold & brought back a decent amount of the purchase price. Anyway, I post more pictures when the front clip gets back on, & some timeslips as well. Wes
OK, as long as the flathead was going to a good home. I think those things are sooooo cool! They've got the best sound I've heard in a long while! Nothing like a flattie through straight pipes!
'51 Merc I have no problem with updating a car like this. Any Restored/Original '51 Merc would be much more likely to end up on a trailer or in a museum. That is probably where it belongs. I know, I drove an original '51 in the early '80s. Daily driver, with frequent 600 mile trips back and forth to college. This car was slower than any roached out Pinto on the road at that time. The no-boost drum brakes were marginal at any speed. The real treat was going uphill in the rain - the wipers were vacuum operated and stopped!!! when the throttle was opened up! How about no seat belts!!! Having this car was a great experience. I learned all about the flathead, about fuel pump bowl filters and vacuum lock, about low compression and winter starting, six volt electrical systems and invisible tail lights, busted springs, rusty rocker panels, and all the other priviledges of maintaining a 30 year old car. But I would NEVER recommend that anybody count on one of these cars, in original condition, for reliable transportation. It was crazy twenty years ago, it would be suicide today. There ARE enough of these cars in rich people's collections. There ARE enough to go around for the museums. If they are going to be driven on the street, they should be updated just like GSWES's dad is doing. Just my opinion.
My brother has a stage 1 in a 49 ford coupe which he should be driving this summer. The two would make a nice big and little brother combination. So is he gonna resist the temptation to chop it? "Anybody can restore a car; it takes a real man to cut one up"
As long as they don't cut the body, I like it! Especially the part about keeping the original paint! Toooo Coool Love that mint green color!:grin:
My father-in-law has had a chopped, louvered, 50' Merc with a 455 as long as I've known him. I'll see if I can get some pictures up. Mike T
Guys, No chopping in the future, although it would look evil. The original paint to going to stay - add to the sleeper look. Looking for some quiet mufflers that still flow - anyone? Probably find some in an old post. Wes
